January 28, 2011 is Data Privacy Day

The third annual Data Privacy Day is set for January 28, 2011. Just in case you missed the first two, this is an annual “international celebration of the dignity of the individual expressed through personal information.” According to the official website, the purpose of the day is to raise privacy awareness worldwide:

In this networked world, in which we are thoroughly digitized, with our identities, locations, actions, purchases, associations, movements, and histories stored as so many bits and bytes, we have to ask – who is collecting all of this – what are they doing with it – with whom are they sharing it? Most of all, individuals are asking ‘How can I protect my information from being misused?’ These are reasonable questions to ask – we should all want to know the answers.

Although the two major corporate sponsors are Microsoft and Intel, profit and non-profit organizations from around the world are participating in local events. To get the latest information on events that may be in your area, join the Facebook page.